Hey there! It’s Virtuous Graphics, and I would like to introduce you to the concept of product photography for Amazon products. In this article, I’ll talk about camera, lighting, and equipment setups, including digital SLRs and point and shoot cameras. I’m excited to discuss these things to you. So let’s gets started!

Digital Cameras

These cameras are the staple in today’s photography. If you already own one, you’re probably wondering if you need to upgrade or replace it. Or probably, you’re not sure about its features yet. Let’s talk about them, starting with the 2 basic types.

The first type of digital camera is the point and shoot. It has one lens; thus, it’s less expensive compared to the other type. Nonetheless, point and shoot cameras are good for product photography. It creates amazing pictures with impressive focus to details.

On the other hand, digital SLRs are the second type of digital cameras. If you need to get a close-up shot of your product, this should be your weapon of choice. It features zoom lens for convenient framing as well as macro feature for detailed captures. You can also customize it with a variety of lenses to allow you to take better quality shots up-close or from a distance. For steady framing, a tripod can be attached from its base.

Pointers for Taking Good-Quality Photos

It doesn’t matter what equipment you have. Whether a point and click or an SLR, turn off the flash as much as possible. The flash usually results in harsh-looking pictures; not to mention, controlling elements like reflection and shadow can become more challenging.

Aim for the right color combination. Adjusting your camera’s colors accordingly is crucial to achieving the perfect photo of your products you seek to sell online.

Learn how to control your camera’s ISO settings and get the feel for the elements like light sensitivity and exposure.

Other stuff you might want to incorporate as you do your product photography:

If you’re into video or audio recording, think about the background noise, which could interfere with the sound quality.

Don’t forget your media cards and get a card reader for them.

You could use a tripod for stealth photography.

If you need to shoot multiple items at the same angle, you could use a rotating tray called Lazy Susan.

Depth of Field

Focus is a crucial aspect in product photography. If your camera has an auto focus feature, you need not worry about this; most modern cameras have this though. But if you want to enhance it, you might want to think about this focus-related element, which is known as Depth of Field.

Both pictures above show the same object. But notice the one of the left; it shows a larger focus of the surrounding area of the subject compared to the photo on the right.

So what does having a larger depth of field contribute to better-quality photos?

Having a larger depth of field allows potential buyers to have a more accurate, clearer view of the item on display. On the other hand, if you set it at shallow depth of field, the photo gives off an emotional, sort of romantic feel.

To control depth of field, locate your camera’s exposure controls. If you want a shallow depth of field, adjust the settings to Aperture Mode, setting it to low numbers like 1.8 or 3.5.

Shallow depth of focus is also known as selective focus. The subject that’s inside the square on the screen will be the only thing that’s going to be focused sharply and in detail.

If you want to achieve a larger depth of field, set the Aperture Mode on your camera at 11 to 16.

Remember

Low aperture settings = shallow depth of field

High aperture settings = larger or broad depth of field

When selling your merchandise, it is important that you build human connection with your potential buyers. You need to be relatable and appeal to your target audience and capture their imagination. For this reason, you might want to bring a cohesive style throughout your shots.

— Things to Consider During Your Amazon Product Photography

Lighting and Tent Equipment

Lighting is the most crucial element in your product photography. Incidentally it may also be one of the intimidating concepts.

To achieve the perfect lighting, you need to set up a light on the right and left sides; having lights on the top or back area is optional. When choosing your lighting, you could use small, easy-to-setup, and flexible-for-any-use equipment.

You’ll also need to consider getting a light tent designed with translucent sides for a virtually shadow-less setting. This tent should also be established against a solid background as this helps diffuse any light coming from other sources.

equipment to consider include the following:

Beyond 360

Add dimension to your product photography. You can do this by covering all angles as much as possible. In the same way, talk about how your product can be used in all possible purposes.

Adjusting the Imagery

Do you have computer programs like Picasa or Photoshop? This software tools can make it easier for you to adjust the images. Take the time to make the necessary edits on your photos.

Set up your camera in a way that allows you to shoot from the top down. The light should be from various directions. Having a light table for this purpose can be advantageous. For you background, set up a white (or black) paper.

— Tip on Taking Photos of Small Objects

Final Word

The idea of product photography is to present a concept to your target audience. This concept comes in the form of your merchandise. Thus, just keep it simple and relay your message in the simplest way possible.

Discover the angles, explore the close-ups, and work with the background. Take advantage of the natural lighting; use diffused lighting when needed though. As much as possible, turn off the flash.

Shoot multiple images, and use a live model or mannequin then pin the product to demonstrate fit and shape.

Wondering how important product packaging and inserts are? If you’re a private label seller on Amazon, proper presentation of your products is one of the most crucial aspects of your business. Unfortunately, a lot of these Amazon sellers are not aware of the significance of high-quality product presentation and how it can contribute to better sales and return on investment (ROI).

In this article, we’ll show you the many advantages of investing in proper packaging and product inserts. The benefits, in addition to the two aforementioned, include having happier, satisfied customers and improved authenticity.

We will discuss how product packaging can contribute to a better brand registry, increased click-through rate, and reach out to new sales channels. In the same way, it lowers the incidence of in-authenticity claims and minimizes negative reviews on your products. Overall, enhancing product packaging and product inserts will boost additional sales.

Why Product Packaging and Inserts?

It’s simple. Product packaging and inserts are the first things people see. Imagine going to the grocery and looking at all the items on sale. Unless you have already set your mind on a particular brand, you’re likely to browse through all the products. The one that catches your eye will likely be the one you’ll pick.

The same goes with Amazon. Through high-quality product packaging and product inserts, it can help make your items one sale stand out.

Why Is Brand Registry Important?

According to Amazon Seller Central, establishing a good brand registry contributes to increased sales. This results from having more control over your product listing content—title, bullet points, product description, and product images.

If you’re a private label seller, the brand registry also protects you from the competition as the latter is prevented from modifying your product listing.

Have you heard about “enhanced brand listing” or “enhanced brand content”? This is a recently released feature on Amazon, which allows registered brand sellers to fully enhance their product listing. You can read a more in-depth elucidation on this subject here: (link)

With your brand registry established, you can upgrade your product listing by enhancing how your product description and images appear. This, in the end, will greatly contribute to increased sales and lower chances of negative reviews.

As a requirement to get brand registry, you need to provide a product for your image, along with its visible branding. This means you can’t just add some random picture of a generic product.

What Makes for a Good Product Packaging?

First off, the brand name should be prominently displayed on the packaging. This allows easy recognition by potential buyers as there is effective communication as to what the product and/or brand is. A cleverer strategy is to add in the product packaging a concise description as to what it does. Oftentimes, potential buyers are likely to walk away if, based on the image or packaging, they are unsure about the product. As a result, they tend to buy the competing product instead.

Imagine going to the supermarket and browsing the aisle for a particular product that you need. You are going from one shelf to another and checking out the competing products, evaluating which one meets your requirements. Eventually, you end up with the one product.

What made you choose that product? As a seller, this is a good question and a position to place yourself in.

It’s all about the packaging—attractive, eye-catching, high-quality. What you see (and what your potential buyers see) play a big part in your decision-making process. In most cases, the visually appealing packages get picked by customers.

Competitor Research

If you’re deciding on enhancing your product packaging and listing, you need to learn the right words to say, so to speak. This is where keyword research plays a crucial role.

Pay attention to the prevalent keyword trends as well as the keywords used by the competing products. Take the time to research broad and generic terms, which ones stand out, and identify them whether they are major or minor keywords.

Through an extensive inquiry, you get a better idea which keywords or phrases are best used for your products. This gives you an edge over the competition, as potential buyers are likely to find your product online by a simple Web search.

It is also important that you make your product stand out by properly setting the colors, not only on its packaging but also in the images. By properly setting the colors, it contributes to a clean overall appearance of the product.

As for the product description, it should be properly worded and use simple terms. The descriptive words should be displayed in such a way that it is easily accessible and understandable to the potential buyer. In the end, the words should properly describe the product and the overall presentation should be able to draw more attention to it.

Expanding to New Sales Channels with Product Packaging

Many Amazon sellers have the bad habit of simply tossing their private label on a generic item and that’s it. But if you want to truly grow your brand and expand to a new sales channel, you need to invest in professional branding. Slapping tags or stickers on the packaging simply won’t do much.

Poor-quality packaging can have adverse outcomes. For one, you’re likely to receive negative product reviews, and star ratings will go down. In many instances, the number of sales will decline. Having too many negative reviews and ratings, in the long run, may result in the suspension of your Amazon account.

With a beautifully presented, professional-looking packaging, customers become more inclined in patronizing your product as against a poorly presented competing item. In the same way, an aesthetically pleasing packaging helps drive additional sales as customers tend to talk about it with their family and friends. Driven by word of mouth, more people will be persuaded to look for your product, resulting in an improvement in your search results rank (for purposes of search engine optimization or SEO).

Customers also tend to leave positive reviews as well. With many leaving a good word about your product in addition to having a good customer experience with you, anticipation and excitement are created with respect to your product.

However, there are certain restrictions with regards to the use of product inserts. For one, you’re not allowed to direct your customers to a third-party website or tell them to leave reviews in exchange for some form of compensation or incentive.

What are allowed though are the following:

• Asking the customer about their satisfaction level

• Offer of assistance should there be issues with respect to the product

The aim in the aforementioned allowable postings on the product packaging is to minimize the likelihood of expressing dissatisfaction through negative reviews. By giving the customer the option to contact you so you can address any problems with the product, there will be a less negative impact on the product. With less negative reviews, there will be a less overall negative impact on sales.

Conclusion

With a properly presented, professional-looking product packaging and inserts, there comes a higher click-through rate and increased product value. This leads to a better overall customer experience and satisfaction.

Taken as a whole, product packaging, when suitably done, will result in more positive product reviews and ultimately increased sales and better return on investment.

We have no affiliation with Amazon, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or its affiliates and partners, including but not limited to; Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk, Amazon.fr and Amazon.cn. Trademarks of these companies are their owners.